Roundabout



(No Model.)

W. A. DODGE.

ROUNDABOUT.

No. 408.798; Patented Aug. 13, 1889 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLARD A. DODGE, OF ALFRED CENTRE, NEW YORK.

RQUNDABO UT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,798, dated August 13, 1889.

Application filed October 12, 1888. Serial No. 287,887. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD A. DODGE, a citizen of the United States, residing atAlfred Centre, in the county of Allegany and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Roundabouts, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying d rawin gs.

This improvement relates to a roundabout or merry-go-round, in which cars or horses, as the case may be, instead of pursuing the usual circular course, run on a track having the form of the figure 8; and the invention consists in the peculiar construction, arrangement, and combinations of parts hereinafter more particularly described, and then definitely pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a plan of my improved roundabout with parts of the frame removed; Fig. 2, a vertical section on. the line as a; on Fig. 1.

Referring now to the details of construction, A represents a track arranged in the form of a figure 8, so that the track crosses itself and is cut at the intersection, so that the cars B may readily pass from one section to the other 011 the same plane. In the center of each section of the track is an upright shaft O, suitably supported in a stepD below and held in a vertical position by suitable framingE above. .Each upright shaft carries a bevel-wheel F, which meshes with a bevelpinion G, mounted on a horizontal shaft 11, having near its center another bevel-gear I7 that meshes with a corresponding bevel-gear J, which is turned in the direction shown by the arrow by any suitable motive power, (not shown,) and the whole is so arranged that as the wheel J turns it gives motion to wheel I, thereby turning shaft H, which, through the pinions G and gears F, revolves the "ertical shafts O in opposite directions.

Each shaft Ois provided with a hub c, from which project a series of drivers or arms K, which act on the cars 13 and push them around the track and from one section to the other at the intersection of the track.

The cars are mounted on wheels I), that run on axles preferably swiveled at l) to the body of the car, so as to swing to accommodate the .differing curves met with in the travel around both sections and in passing from one section to the other.

WVhen motion is given to the gearing, the cars are pushed around by the drivers or arms K, and thus each car after passing around one section crosses the track at the intersection and enters the other section, when, after traveling around said other section, it again crosses the track and passes into the first section and around it again to the second section, and so on as long as the gearin g is kept in motion. This arrangement will be found to be very interesting and amusing to children, and as the riders travel in opposite directions alternately there is no danger of their becoming giddy or sick, as is commonly the case when the riding is always in the same direction, as in the ordinary roundabouts.

What I claim as new is 4 1. The combination, with a track substantially in the form of two circles and crossing itself on the same plane at the adjacent parts of said circles of two shafts revolved by intermediate gearing in opposite directions, a series of drivers carried around by said shafts, and a series of cars arranged between the drivers and running in opposite directions around the two circles of the track, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a track substantially in the form of two circles and crossing itself on the same plane at the adjacent parts of said circles, 'of a series of cars running on said track, the vertical shafts 0 0, one set in the center of each track, a series of arms K K, running over said track, for driv-.

WVILLARD A. DODGE.

\Vitnesses:

GEORGE E. DODGE, WALTER A. DODGE. 

